The Poets

So not everyone is meant to be a poet. Inspiration is hard to find. So it is not surprising that, poets throughout history, have looked to the past for ideas. The poem of Demeter and the Rape of Persephone are two poems that have in contemporary times assimilated into one known poem. During my reading though, there are three poets in history whose names seem to now be entwined with the poem of Demeter and Persephone.

Chronologically the first poet is Claudian or Claudius Claudian, a non-native born Roman, Claudian is considered one of the greatest classical poets. He is well known for In Eutropium (Against Eutropius). De raptu Proserpinae (The Rape of Persephone) is an epic poem based on the Persephone myth. This poem consists of three books, yet is incomplete for Claudian died before finishing it.

Much in the style of Greek epic tales like the Iliad and the Odyssey, The Rape of Persephone is very long winded, but highly detailed. It explains more of how things were done rather than what was done. While reading it, I felt engaged to the point that I felt I might actually be reading a script for a soap opera, since some of the reactions and sneaking around seemed highly dramatic. For example, in the Claudian version, Jove (Zeus) watched as Demeter fell into a deep depression and then in confidence told his wife that long ago, he had promised Persephone to his brother Pluto (Hades).  I suppose though, in Demeter’s case, the melodramatic reaction only emphasis her love for her daughter.  

Today, Claudian’s version of the story is praised for it’s detail and drama and often is referenced by many literary and history scholars as a well-written example of an epic poem after Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.

Ovid taken from http://my.wn.com/media/wiki/l/a/Latin_Poet_Ovid.jpg

Another poet is Ovid. Ovid is a Roman poet who lived in 43 BCE to around 17 CE. He is well known in the world of today for his work, Metamorphoses. This work consists of fifteen books. The tenth book is dedicated mainly to Ceres (the Roman equivalent to Demeter) and a few more Muses’ tales. Of course this poem is written in Latin, which means it needed to be translated, but upon translation, it is evident that Ceres goes through a severe depression.

The phrase, ‘Hell hast no fury,’ does not do this justice. In my last post, I spoke about Ceres’ (Demeter’s) travels. The travels seemed mystical and sad; however in Ovid’s version of the poem, Ceres is angered at the slightest indiscretion. She even turned a loud, mocking boy into a newt in Ovid’s poem for he was being rude like people usually are when someone is over lower class in tales such as these.  And then as always, she ravishes the earth of any nourishment like in the Greek tale.  

Seeing the progression thus far, it is clear that Ovid may have taken cues from Claudian for the emotional states of everyone seem to be elevated and the importance of sorrow and unyielding love from a parent to a child are pushed into the spotlight.  Yet, it does present differences. The main difference of this piece is the fact that every metaphysical feeling of Ceres’ travels is dimmed and presented in an almost mundane, humble way. In an almost contradictory way, Ovid presents a glimpse of a hopeful Ceres. This I mean, in Ovid’s version of the myth Ceres is greeted by Celeus, who is normally portrayed as the king of Eleusis. Instead, Celeus is a man traveling back to his home with a large bag and his one daughter. Through his kindness of inviting Ceres in during terrible weather to his small home, Ceres becomes a tiny bit happier from the kindness bestowed upon her. She is grateful to the point that she heals Celeus’ ill infant son. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPqEzIOgFio

Professor Carl Springer talks about Ovid and his importance in detail. 

For today’s audiences, Ovid’s Metamorphoses has been retranslated, allusion to, and rewritten for contemporary viewers. It’s themes and ideas remain the same, but the characters get full makeovers and anthropomorphic bodies and personalities. It has even become common for modern day theater to use Metamorphoses as a basis for a play.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGECKOmaWTI

Example of contemporary play using Metamorphoses as base.

Portrait of Tennyson from http://www.victorianweb.org/images/tennyson.gif

            The last poet that seems to have made a mark on the history of Demeter and Persephone is the poet Lord Alfred Tennyson. Unlike Claudian and Ovid, he did not live during ancient Roman times; rather he is from the nineteenth century. Given the time period, it is no surprise that Tennyson was writing about the ancient myth since it was during the age of Neo-classism and Romanticism, which was an age to where many looked back to the classical period in search of inspiration. He is well known for many poems and especially for phrases like “ its better to have loved and lost/Then to have never loved at all”. 

            His poem, Demeter and Persephone takes on a new perspective on the myth. The poem still tells the story and the events of the myth from the kidnapping to the search to the return, yet it context is different. Instead of having the story told in a third person viewpoint, the poem is written in a conversational format. Demeter and Persephone explain the story while speaking back and forth of their experiences. This creates a new aspect for the reader is guided to empathize with the two. Their sadness and regret is obvious, making their ordeals seems more human in a way because the reader is being told by the character’s their tale rather than from an outsider.

            It appears through time, that the story of Demeter and Persephone remained the same as far as plot points. It seems that as time progresses, the points that were dramatized or emphasized by previous writers have influenced the more recent writers. For the sorrow and pain have become the center points of the story. However, over the course of time, the characters have become more and more human. Thus making them easier to relate to as individuals. So, the myth is progressing through poetry towards a more related sense of mortal to mortal over god to mortal perspective.

           

Below are links to the translated versions of the poems:

Claudian: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Claudian/home.html

Ovid: http://www.mythology.us/ovid_metamorphoses_book_5.htm

Tennyson: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/demeter-and-persephone/

Works Cited:

 Pater, Walter. "Walter Pater's Essay: The Myth Of Demeter And Persephone." Read Book Online:            Literature Books,novels,short Stories,fiction,non-fiction, Poems,essays,plays,Pulitzer Prize,
           Nobel Prize. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/38078/>.

  Pater, Walter. Greek Studies: A Series of Essays. London: Macmillian and, Limited, 1910.

            Print.

The Remants of a Cult

Continuing from the first post, it is time to begin investigating more about the myth of Demeter and Persephone. Now while reading through different authors’ interpretations, I found that most recently published items, include a detailed account of Demeter’s adventure during her mourning period (This occurs after she began searching for Persephone and learns the truth from Zeus about his decision). This I found quite interesting for it was almost like a subplot within a larger story like in today’s movies.

 In this account, Demeter in her state of grief abandons Olympus and goes down into the world of mortals. Demeter disguises herself as an elderly woman and travels the land. She eventually comes to the city of Eleusis, which is a part of Attica (modern central Greece). Here she comes upon a well and sits down. Moments later, two daughters of Celeus, who is the King of Eleusis, arrive at the well and take water from the well. While taking water, the daughters speak to who they believe is a weary old woman. Demeter tells a very outlandish tale about her escaping from pirates to the two girls while also offering her services as a nanny.  In earnest, the two daughters run to consult their mother about the old woman. Soon Demeter is employed as the nurse to the baby, Triptolemus. 

            As Demeter takes care of young Triptolemus, she is shortly distracted from her sorrows about Persephone. Oddly enough though, Demeter does not feed this child despite his wondrous growth. Rather Demeter secretly is feeding Triptolemus ambrosia (food which is eaten by the gods) and laying him in a fire in order to make him immortal. This ritual soon is discontinued for one night, Triptolemus’ mother peers upon the scene and screams at the sight of her child being placed in a fire. Because of this disruption, Demeter instantly removes Triptolemus from the flames and reveals her true identity as a goddess to Triptolemus’ mother. Demeter then declares that Triptolemus can not be immortal, but would hold great esteem among mankind and demands a temple to be erected in her honor on a hill in Eleusis, so that the people can carry out ceremonies and sacred rites as directed by her.

            It is an interesting tale that seems out of place within the myth of Demeter and Persephone. Yet, there seems to be perhaps actual fact to this part of the myth. For during my research, I discovered that in the city of Eleusis, there are ruins of a temple dedicated to Demeter and numerous accounts of rituals performed at the temple called the Eleusis Mysteries.

            Not too much is known about the temple or the Mysteries.  However, the evident  “Demeter cult” (Mylonas p. 18-20) in Eleusis is undeniable for many of the statues of Demeter and Persephone had been removed from this site. In 1931, Kourouniotes excavated the Temple of Demeter (Mylonas p. 34).  This temple has many unanswered questions for many think that the temple was originally just an adjacent outdoor terrace to the Telestria or that the temple, Telestria is the Temple of Demeter. Because there are only ruins and pieces left of the temple, only assumptions of where and how the temple was built on the hill overlooking the city are made. 

Temple Layout

             The temple itself is constructed quite differently from standard Greek temples. It did not possess the common sculptures and columns of other Greek temples.  It is different in its layout also. The temple consists of six entrances and had tiered seating for initiates and a centered seating area for the high priests to conduct ceremonies and rituals. The plan for the temple seems to show that the temple had been constructed to hold many people.

Votive Clay Tablet of Ninnius

            Meanwhile, the Mysteries themselves prove to be very exciting. In the Homeric hymn, it talks about the absolute vow of secrecy of the rituals involved in the celebrations of Demeter.  This secrecy is so greatly enforced that the hymn states that to break the secrecy means, “ confiscations of all property, all the priests and priestesses place curses upon one…the Goddess herself meted out punishment” (Mylonas p. 224-225).  Based on this amount of fear that was instilled, the secrets of the celebration were kept for almost two thousand years, amazingly. These rituals take place in the city of Eleusis because it is thought to be the location at which Demeter was reunited with her daughter, Persephone. Most of the information that has been gathered about the Mysteries is from art artifacts like the Votive Clay tablet of Ninnius.

            In these rituals, there was a hierarchy of priests and priestesses. The Hierophant was the high priest and in command of the ceremonies (Mylonas p. 229).  The rituals were divided into multiple stages and initiations. The main two are called the Lesser Mysteries and the Greater Mysteries.

The Lesser Mysteries involved dancing and celebrating with sacrifices of pigs and purification of water for initiations of participants. This part of the celebration was held during the spring months into summer (Mylonas p. 239-243) whereas the Greater Mysteries were held during the months of September to October.  This ritual involved much more active participation. By this, I mean that a messenger was sent out the day before the start of the ritual to ask the people of various cities to offer up tithes in honor of the goddess, Demeter. From here, the priests and priestesses travelled to Athens. This is the starting point of the procession of Demeter. People then gathered here, in order to walk the path that Demeter took during her wandering to Eleusis during her time of grief. During this journey, each day was filled with different forms of purification until Eleusis was reached. And as one could guess, much sacrifice, praying, and unknown events took place upon arriving at Eleusis (Mylonas p. 243-259).

It’s funny how most of the accounts are through different artworks and minor personal writing, since secrecy was top priority much like how Demeter in the myth, was very discreet about her ritual of immortality with Triptolemus to the point that once discovered, she became outraged and made demands. Also, the timing of the rituals and the proceeding are very corresponding, for the Mysteries held in Spring are just a time of celebration compared to the Mysteries held in Autumn in which harsh travels and purification is upheld just as Demeter would have celebrated Persephone’s return in the spring and mourn Persephone’s departure. I suppose that was the way religious rituals were started.

Works Cited:

Berens, E. M. "Demeter." The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome. Boston:

            Longwood, 1979. Print.

 "Eleusis-Telesterion." Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <learn.uci.edu/ocw/courses/08f/22110/home/Eleusis-

           Telesterion.ppt>.

Mylonas, G. E. Eleusis and the Eleuisian Mysteries. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton UP,

            1961. Print.

Images:

Frieze of Demeter and Persephone consecrating Triptolemus, Athens, 430BCE. 

Telesterion Temple Layout,  learn.uci.edu/ocw/courses/08f/22110/home/Eleusis-Telesterion.ppt

Clay Tablet of Ninnius, Athens, 4th Century - National Archaeological Museum